About the Author - by Muhammad Shanazar

About the Author
Ayub Khawar is one of the most renowned contemporary poets from Pakistan,his family name is Muhammad Ayub Khan. He was born in District Chakwal (Punjab) on 12th October, 1948. He got his early education from the local school. He did his Master Degree in Urdu Literature from Karachi University in 1974. The detail of Ayub Khawar’s contribution to Urdu poetry and production of PTV programmes is very long. He worked in PTV as Producer, Director and Playwright of drama serials, series, and long plays. He also produced quiz shows, talk shows, musical shows; reality shows and literature based programs and got retirement in 2005. In reward of his huge contribution he was bestowed several awards like PTV National Awards, Graduate Awards, Bolan Awards, Nigaar Awards, Lux Style Awards. Upon his remarkable services for TV drama industry, in year 2013-2014, he was honored by the Pride of Performance award from the government of Pakistan. As a poet his work included Gul-e-Mausam (1992 First Edition), Tumhain Janay Ki Jaldi Thi (1998 First Edition), Bohat Kuch Kho Gaya Hai (2009 First Edition) and Mohabbat ki Kitab (2012 First Edition), Symphony & other Poems (translated from Urdu to English)
After retirement from PTV he joined GEO Tv as Senior Executive producer/Director of Soup’s, Serials and special projects such as thematic long plays. Moreover, he was selected as a project head to convert the most criticized Islamic Film “THE MESSAGE” from English to Urdu. He revamped, National Anthem of Pakistan amongst more than 40 well known singers for the first time in history for GEO TV. From 2013 onwards he has been working as a project head of renowned comedy program “Mazaaq Raat”. His professional career led him to work at different PTV Stations throughout Pakistan. Being one of the most innovative producers, he transformed short stories of the very prominent and stalwart epoch making literacy figures of the country into a very potent dramatic format and they were presented on PTV and other channels; consequently his efforts as a producer engendered a very positive trend that the viewers who had disconnected themselves from urdu fiction again inclined to book-reading. Among those whose works were converted into dramatic format and appreciated in the sub-continent, were Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, Ashfaq Ahmed, Intizar Hussain, Ghulam Abass, Sa’adat Hassan Manto, Bano Qutsia Khadija Mastoor, Hajira Masroor, Abdullah Hussain and Gulzar the indian short story writer and famous film director and lyricist.
Along Ayub Khawar’s creativity, he has a unique approach towards writing lyrics for feature films and theme songs for TV drama. Ayub Khawar’s SYMPHONY AND OTHER POEMS is an English version of his poems selected from his books mentioned above. These poems have been translated into English by Muhammad Shanazar: an internationally recognized poet and translator. This creative work of Ayub khawar will open new doors of recognition for him in English speaking countries of the western world across the globe.